September 6th – 14th, 2025

Calling all travel and animal lovers! Join Animal Communicator Joan Ranquet and get wordless in South Africa. Experience for yourself what it’s like to feel the world through the senses of elephants, rhinos, and the wild creatures of Thula Thula, the oldest private wildlife reserve in KwaZulu-Natal province.

Thula Thula means peace and tranquility in isiZulu and boasts a unique diversity of landscapes, from riverine bush, savanna and forest. It is an 11,000 acre Wildlife Sanctuary dedicated to the conservation, protection and survival of endangered species. Situated in Zululand, only 2 hours from Durban, and one hour from Richards Bay. Elephants, rhino, buffalo, hippo, hyena, leopard and so much more are common on the reserve, along with over 350 bird species!

Why Travel with Me?

There is a magic that happens on my trips. Our daily meditations lead to a deeper connection with the natural world and a sense of quiet that magnetizes the most magical moments. While nature is wild and unpredictable we can almost guarantee you the kind of sightings and interactions with wildlife that will leave you wondering, did that just happen??

Our trips are an unusual blend. Think mystical meets naturalist meets playful adventure!

You’ll learn a lot about the natural world of each place we explore, with the opportunity for you to go from traveler to steward as you create your own relationship with the land, the people and the animals.

Plus, I’ll give you tips, tricks and tools post trip for you to take the magic home and become an ally, advocate and reporter for the places you’ve been, sharing experiences, stories, pictures and love to your wider community! All while having fun. And laughing. A lot. There may even be curse words!!

I’ve spearheaded 16 trips to swim with wild dolphins and facilitated wildlife excursions to South Africa (3 trips), Namibia, Botswana, Kenya (2 trips) and Borneo, focusing on endangered species. I have shared my expertise all over the U.S., speaking on animal communication, human/animal relationships, energy healing, and wildlife. 

Why Travel with Lorrin?

Lorrin Maughan is an animal communicator, certified Gestaltist, and coach who has been providing transformational experiences to help clients make meaningful changes in their lives for over a decade, often in partnership with horses. As an animal activist, she is deeply aware of the unique pain experienced by empathetic people who are committed to reducing the suffering of all sentient beings, and brings a trauma-informed approach to helping empower her clients to heal themselves and their relationships as they work to build a kinder and more compassionate world. Integral to this mission are her animal communication and energy healing offerings, providing people with a way to improve their understanding of, and relationships with, the non-human individuals in their life.

In her own words...

What traveling means to me

I have come to realize that, for me, travel is more of a necessity than a mere luxury. It’s a form of self-care that transcends healthy eating, exercise, massages, and spa days. Travel broadens our minds. It offers us unique experiences – and challenges – that stretch our perspectives of the world and ourselves. When I travel, I am given the opportunity to see myself more fully in the mirror of humanity that I encounter. I am challenged to adopt a growth mindset and to find wells of resilience and resourcefulness I simply can’t access in my tidy and mundane daily existence. And I get to encounter beings and places that inspire awe – one of the most powerful and transformative emotions we can feel.

What I will bring to the Thula Thula trip

Being in the presence of wild animals in their natural habitat, particularly endangered species, can inspire powerful emotions. As we commune respectfully with them, we become aware of some of our own deepest desires for humanity and the planet and, as such, these experiences can be a portal for deep transformation in our lives once we return home.

This trip will offer an opportunity to:

• Experience a deeper connection with yourself and the wild world around you by cultivating an awareness of your body, mind, and emotions on our nature drives. We will enjoy two nature drives with this specific focus.
• Process and explore our awareness in a supportive group setting, so that we can take meaningful action moving forward, if so inspired. Two group sessions will be offered.
• You will have the option to book a private Gestalt processing session for an additional, discounted, investment should you wish to go deeper or process anything that comes up for you on the trip. This session can be while we are at Thula Thula, or within 3 months of our return.